The present application is directed to a new design of architectural concrete structure and to a wall system formed by a plurality of such structures. Concrete blocks are used extensively in building construction in a wide variety of designs. Prior art blocks and block systems for forming walls include the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,647,392; 2,701,464; 4,018,018; 4,075,808; 4,514,949; 4,854,097; 6,032,424; and 6,223,491.
Concrete blocks are heavy to handle and do not provide good insulating characteristics. U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,097 discloses a building block having improved insulating characteristics in which at least a part of the volume within the concrete is filled with highly insulating foam.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a an architectural concrete structure and a system for forming walls or other structures in which the components have good insulating characteristics and has a large central, open passageway to provide a structure having lower weight than would be expected for the size of the component formed and having good insulating characteristics.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a review of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings.